Juventus' Late Collapse: Vicario's Fury After Stoppage Time Defeat
Juventus let a point slip through their fingers in stoppage time, undone by a final act of chaos that left Guglielmo Vicario raging and Vasilije Adzic celebrating.
Twice the Bianconeri dragged themselves back from behind. Twice they looked to have escaped with something. Then, with the clock almost out, their defensive shape simply fell apart. Adzic needed no second invitation, punishing a disorganised back line that had been flirting with disaster all evening.
As the whistle went, Vicario exploded. The on-loan Tottenham goalkeeper, one of Juventus’ few consistent bright spots this season, turned on his defenders, arms spread, voice cutting through the noise. It was the reaction of a player who knew this defeat had been carved by their own hands.
High Line, Heavy Price
For the visitors, this was not a one-off lapse. It was 90 minutes of defensive torment.
Sassuolo repeatedly sliced through an offside trap that never looked fully in sync. Sebastiano Esposito struck first, then Kieron Bowie restored the lead after Juve’s initial fightback, each goal exposing a high line that lacked timing, coordination and, crucially, communication.
Edon Zhegrova did everything he could to drag Juventus out of the mess. The winger struck twice with moments of pure individual quality, solo efforts that momentarily masked the collective problems behind him. Every time he hauled them level, the structure behind him crumbled again.
In the end, Zhegrova’s brilliance wasn’t enough to cover a system that kept inviting trouble. The final collapse, deep into stoppage time, felt inevitable.
Vicario’s Fury
Vicario didn’t bother dressing it up when he spoke to DAZN after the match. The goalkeeper underlined that these exact situations had been a focus in training – and then watched them unfold anyway.
“There is great bitterness, because I understand the desire to go and win the game, because we are Juventus and it is our obligation to aim for victory every time, but we lost our balance and we talked all week about this,” the 29-year-old said.
The frustration ran deeper than just the late goal. It was about what Juventus represent, and what they had allowed.
“Juventus cannot concede two goals like that. This is a club with a glorious history and we cannot allow goals like that. We need to be more calm and balanced, because we have a team full of quality, and we will be able to create chances.”
The message was clear: ambition is non-negotiable at Juventus, but so is control. Here, they had neither at the decisive moment.
No Hiding Behind Injuries
The context is harsh. Juventus are navigating a difficult stretch, with key figures missing. None more important than captain Manuel Locatelli, ruled out for four to six months after meniscus surgery. His absence rips a hole in the midfield, tactically and emotionally.
Yet Vicario refused to lean on that as a shield.
“We’re sad to be losing Manuel, but it’s a long-term injury, and we do have players of quality in the squad. We can’t just keep seeking excuses,” he said.
No alibis. No soft landing. Not from the man between the posts.
From Late Heroics to Late Heartbreak
What stings even more is how sharply this result contrasts with the previous week. Then, Juventus had found a way. Federico Gatti came off the bench to snatch a late 1-1 draw against Milan, a point that felt like a springboard.
This time, in a similar late-game storm, they fell apart instead of standing firm.
Asked whether the dressing room was feeling more anger or regret, Vicario didn’t try to separate the two.
“In my view both, because we had managed to turn the tide in our favour. We must be able to control these moments of the match better, because we’ve got the quality,” he noted.
Quality, yes. Character, in flashes. But until Juventus learn how to close games like this, nights like these will keep asking the same unforgiving question of them.
